Beijing, Aug 11: Abhinav Bindra wins gold in men's 10m Air Rifle Event. He is the first Indian to get individual gold medal. This is India's first gold medal in Beijing Olympics 2008. India won gold medal again after 28 years.

Abhinav shot 700.5m in the finals. Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, finished the qualifying event joint fourth with Romania's George Alin Moldoveanu after the duo shot a score of 596/600. However, Gagan Narang failed to make the final cut in the same event finishing ninth with a score of 595/600. Narang shot a series of 97, 100, 100, 100, 98 and100. After winning India's first ever individual gold medal in Olympics Abhinav said it is a proud moment for India.


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"He is the best shooter in the world and I think his is a morale boosting feat for everyone in the contingent," a jubilant Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi said after Bindra's win.

"We are all very happy. He is a very hardworking athlete. The entire shooting contingent is celebrating. We are very proud of him and it is just the beginning," national coach Sunny Thomas said. Abhinav is a very calm and composed guy and doesn't get very excited," Thomas added.

Abhinav, who was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games, won six gold medals at various international meets in 2001. In the Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won gold in the Pairs event and silver in the individual event. At the 2004 Olympic Games, he broke the Olympic record but failed to win a medal.

He got Arjuna award in 2001 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for the year 2001-2002.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, Aug 11 congratulated Abhinav Bindra who made history and made India pround. The president"s message came soon after Bindra"s historic gold. He won by scoring 700.5 points, 596 in the qualifier and 104.5 in the final to claim the gold.



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